Solutions for Public Sector
Trends Driving State and Local Government IT
Three trends point to the need for pervasive wireless LANs within government organizations. A 2005 Forrester Research study(6) of government IT executives found that the highest priority remains improving security and business continuity. While shoring up security has been a major theme for several years, 71 percent and 66 percent of respondents reported that improving security and business continuity, respectively, is still the highest priority for IT spending. The second-highest priority was the need to replace existing employee computing equipment, including laptops, with over 66 percent of government respondents indicating that this was a priority. Because over 90 percent of laptops today come equipped with wireless LAN capability, it’s not surprising that this trend is closely coupled with the desire to enable employee mobility.
Government workers constitute one of the most mobile workforces. From maintenance personnel, to healthcare givers and transportation employees, thousands of government workers perform their jobs on the go every day. Like their private sector counterparts, government entities have discovered that wireless LANs are an important component of a mobility strategy to enable employees to be more productive. Not surprisingly, the Forrester Research study found that more than any private sector industry, government has the highest percentage of employees that require mobility, at 31 percent of the workforce.
Benefits of Cisco Unified Wireless Network for State and Local Governments
Unlike pockets of wireless LAN capability, a pervasive wireless LAN enables significant new capabilities for government organizations. Guest, voice, security, and location services can all have a substantial impact on productivity, efficiency, and security when enabled organization-wide. Examples of how pervasive wireless LANs can create new services or make existing government processes more efficient, include:
- Improve logistics and maintenance—Update transportation management systems with passengers served, fuel status, collected revenues, video surveillance logs as they enter airport or station or throughout the city using an outdoor WLAN network.
- Increased responsiveness and control over telecommunications—Offer consistent call quality in-building, track expenses
and integrate into existing voice PBX infrastructure through voice over Wi-Fi.
- Enhance decision making and increase digital inclusion—Utilize guest networks for constituents, system integrators, and vendors in public buildings.
- Track and secure assets—Reduce spending and personnel time locating or repurchasing assets through location services.
- Improved patient services—Deliver instant access to medical records, reach the closest caregiver, and track critical assets
or at-risk patients through a pervasive wireless LAN.
- Engage citizens—Offer online city services guide and Web portals both in public buildings and outdoors.
- Protect the community—Secure highly trafficked thoroughfares and business districts with wireless video surveillance.
(6) “State and Local Government Data Center Spending Trends: 2005”, September 20, 2005, Forrester Research
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